Missouri Department of Social Services

Furious lawmakers demand answers from Missouri DSS for undercount of abuse reports

(Missouri Independent) – Lawmakers slammed the Department of Social Services on Thursday for underreporting the number of substantiated cases of abuse and neglect at youth residential facilities during a previous legislative hearing. For nearly an hour-and-a-half on Thursday, the House Special Committee on Government Oversight pressed DSS officials on why the number of findings of […]

Find Your Future

New college/career exploration program helps middle schoolers find their “sparks”

March 2020 would have been the fifth year of Camp CaPow—College Access-Planning Our Way. Held at the University of Missouri’s Family Impact Center in Columbia, Camp CaPow is a weeklong opportunity for middle school students to explore career and postsecondary education options through workshops, tours of Missouri college campuses, meetings with professionals from a range […]

Fraud

Man pleads guilty to $244 million ghost-cattle scam

A Washington man pleaded guilty to defrauding Tyson Foods Inc. (Tyson) and another company (Company 1) out of more than $244 million by charging them under various agreements for the purported costs of purchasing and feeding hundreds of thousands of cattle that did not actually exist. According to court documents, Cody Allen Easterday, 49, of […]

President Joe Biden Photo Courtesy of the White House

Biden calls on U.S. Senate to act on background checks after Colorado mass shooting

(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged the U.S. Senate to immediately pass legislation to close loopholes on background checks for guns and to ban assault weapons, following a mass shooting that killed 10 at a Colorado supermarket. “This should not be a partisan issue,” Biden said. “This is an American issue.” Biden’s […]

Candidates Forum

Audio: Candidates introduce themselves to begin our series on the Trenton Board of Education forum

Five of seven candidates for the Trenton R-9 Board of Education answered questions during a forum in the Trenton High School Commons on March 18th. Mindy Walker with the Missouri State Teachers Association moderated the event. Candidates first introduced themselves, explained why they were running for the two open positions, and shared their qualifications. Melissa […]